A Foodie’s Guide to Porto: 12 Must-Try Dishes and Drinks, Porto, Portugal

It’s always struck me as strange that Porto - with its name so clearly related to that of the country - should not be the capital of Porto. It’s struck me as equally strange that, almost a decade since first falling in love with the Algarve and later Lisbon, it’s taken me until now to visit Porto. But with my newly minted double-vaxxed corona pass status, autumn 2021 was finally the time to set off to warmer climes and see Portugal’s second city. In fact, October turned out to be the perfect time to visit: without the oppressive heat of summer, the temperature still rose to a comfortable 25 degrees Celsius during the day and cooled off considerably at night. All of which was perfect weather for eating! (Who am I kidding? All weather is perfect weather for eating….) So let’s get right to it: where to eat and drink in Porto?

Pastéis de nata - delicious flaky, wobblingly voluptuous, custard tarts - are synonymous with Portugal. And the place to eat them is Manteigaria: a small bakery and coffee shop chain with two branches in Porto and several more in Lisbon. You can eat in with a coffee or take your tart away to sigh with delight in privacy…

While pastéis de nata may be ubiquitous throughout Portugal, port wine is the beverage associated with Porto itself. Cross the Luís I Bridge to the south side of the river, and you’ll find dozens of port houses staggered up the face of the hill. Along the waterfront, there are plenty of bars to stop into for a glass of port (or a white port and tonic cocktail - delicious) but it’s worth the climb up to the huge, impressive port houses and gardens to do a proper tasting. We picked Taylor’s Port and were not disappointed: the “Introduction to Taylor’s” flight of port consisted of five glasses, from dry white port to late bottled vintage (my favourite) to 20-year tawny. It’s not cheap at €35, but you get to taste a bit of everything, and you can opt for an additional chocolate pairing if that’s your thing. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).